SECOND THOUGHT

author is Teacher School (ICTHS)

CATHERINE Q. CANLAS

The kind of instruction we deliver is inspired at most by the pedagogical philosophy we espouse.

Now that the teacher has become more of the facilitator of learning inside the classroom, he or she will have played a crucial role in balancing the learning process especially in the midst of information boom. Learners will have lots to share; earnest and always eager; aroused and inquisitive about their future; competitive.

It has been predicted that by 2030, artificial intelligence shall take over numerous kinds of jobs, thus depleting labor pools.

However, the World Economic Forum has enumerated certain skills that workers must possess in order to still be relevant in the 21st century, or even beyond it. Collectively, these skills are what are referred to as “the soft skills.”

The trajectory of artificial intelligent might appear threatening to humans but according to Jack Ma, technology must enable us, not disable us. However, he strongly proposed that in order to achieve this, we must do something about what and how we teach our learners— clamors for salary increase aside, it seems that a sizeable portion of our future rests upon the shoulders of teachers.

Going back to pedagocical philosophy, must we not reconsider going back to our roots, therefore...to the heart, before the mind...to where it all started. Educating the heart as well as the mind is the best way to go. Not that this writer personally places less importantance on “the hard skills” that is— Math, Science or English, but the soft skills are all that’s left in humans that could be tapped in in order to sustain balance in the emerging age of robots.

According to The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report, suffice it to say, emotional intelligence, creativity, and people management will be among the top skills needed for jobs in 2020. Furthermore, it stated that Change won’t wait for us. So business leaders, educators and governments all need to be proactive in up-skilling and retraining people so everyone can benefit from the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

-oOoThe

II at Information and Communication Technology High